Multi G-H Nut Cheerios??

So last May I completely swore of cereal.  I have loved cereal since I was a newborn, okay if you want to get picky then a toddler.  I loved it all and my love set in hardcore on those days I would stay at Gramma's house.  She would give me my very favorite of all Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch.  Her favorite was Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.  Over the years it became nothing but comfort food.  In high school and college who didn't want to sit and eat cereal all day.  Especially when it was served in those all-for-the-world-to-see-and-your-mouth-to-drool clear pour mass bins.  Forget the other food. 

In my twenties, I had moved on to Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats.  Somehow, I determined it was healthier than the full-on sugary stuff.  Over the course of nine years, I became a mini-wheat connoisseur determining who made the best frosted mini wheats.  Eventually, I believed that the generic and competing national brands were better at it than Kellogg's themselves!

During my last few months before my 30th birthday I was chatting with a personal trainer friend and we got into conversation as to how cereal is one of the worst things that you could consume.  All junk, just eating candy.  I secretly knew this all along but did not want to admit it.  So to ween myself off, I started eating organic cereal.  Puffins was pretty good.  Then by June I had gone cold turkey.  After a few weeks I didn't miss it.  Then on my 30th birthday I visited my two best friends in Florida.  One of which had a cereal junky family like me.  Oh dear.  I was in trouble.  

So by the end of August I was back on the wagon.  But this time it was a better choice.  My friends had taught me something new...mix cereals.  Well, I used to love Honey Nut Cheerios but they were just so syrupy sweet for me now.  Yuck.  So I thought, why don't I mix them with Multi-Grain Cheerios.  Lots of multi grain, little honey nut.  There you go, that is how I made the perfect cereal.  

Today I am finishing up the last of my double-box pack of Multi-Grain and double-box pack of Honey Nut Cheerios.  It has lasted me since the end of August when I determined I had to load up on my new find at Costco.  It is January of the new year and that is the present me.  If it had been the twenties me four boxes wouldn't have lasted one month.  As I am finishing up this last box I am done.  Not completely done, but just done.  Now that Cheerios has sided with us health-conscious Americans and deemed that their original Cheerios will no longer be made with genetically modified organisms I am going to keep one (only one) box of original Cheerios in the cabinet.  Those will be for those occasions of a quick breakfast or a pre-dinner snack since my husband gets home from work a few hours later than I.  But no longer do I gorge myself on cereal.

~with Angela O'

Photo Credit: www.honeynutcheerios.com

Photo Credit: www.honeynutcheerios.com

Raspberry Chipotle Cream Cheese Appetizer

Thanks Internet b/c I haven't ran to the store yet and didn't want to deprive my followers of this recipe before their weekend holiday grocery trip!!!

I would like to point out that I absolutely hate raspberries, I despise them.  Many people say they are too sweet but I really don't have any idea if they are sweet or not, I just can't get past the flavor of them.  However when I tried this by accident the other day I fell in love because the chipotle gives the raspberry a smokey flavor.  Delicious.  Thanks Brittany for serving this at your birthday party.  It will go over excellently with this New Year's cocktails.

Ingredients:

*One 8oz block of Philedelphia Cream Cheese
*One bottle of Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
*Keebler Club Crackers

Instructions:
Simply open the block of cream cheese and set onto plate.  Open bottle of sauce and pour over top.  Either lay crackers around on same plate or serve crackers on side plate. 

Heck you could even get fancy and sprinkle shaved almonds over the top.

Snowman Buttons

This one is very easy.  Great for classroom parties, coworkers, guest room fluff, and well just for your good ole friends.  It's cute, what else can I say.  This year I made them to hand out at a cookie exchange and to give to a few friends too.  O' I love to create.

Supplies Needed:

* 4x6 Clear Treat Bags 

*Stapler

*Hot Glue Gun

*Scrapbook Paper, Xmas Color or Xmas Pattern

*Giant Black Gumballs 

*Avery Printable Labels

*Opaque Paint Marker

Tips

-Get the 4x6 clear treat bags at a craft store like Michael's and Jo-Ann's.  
-Find the giant gumballs by the color online or at a party store like Party City.
-Put just 3 gumballs in each treat bag to look like the 3 buttons on the snowman's jacket.  

Poor Man's Payday

This treat signals the beloved time of year again.  Autumn.  Just as soon as the first batch of the season is distributed, candy corn lovers hit the stores like there is no tomorrow. Two years ago Kim Dean, my former supervisor and Halloween costume buyer introduced my coworkers and I to Poor Man's Payday.  One year she brought us our own individual treat cups filled with the mixture, another year she brought in a giant bowl which did not last more than the day.  Regardless of how she delivered it to us, she still had to make several batches to leave at home for her family.  This year I made my own individual treat bags using scrapbook paper and embellishments to hand out to my husband's coworkers at Terminal Reality.  I filled the baggies with just enough for an afternoon snack and well... to tickle the seasonal craving for weeks to come.  For those of you who dislike the Payday candy bar you must try this fresh replacement as I, myself did not dare eat that dry hard candy brick. The best ratio to pop into your mouth is 2 peanuts to 1 candy corn.  But experiment for yourself and find out how many peanuts to candy corn will balance your taste buds...

Ingredients:

1 - 12.5 oz can of Spanish peanuts (redskin)

1 - 22 oz bag of candy corn

Tips:
-Do not substitute party peanuts (no skin) for the Spanish peanuts.  During the process of roasting the peanuts without the skin take on too much of the roast smoky flavor for this recipe.
-Brach's candy corn is great.  No matter what you use make sure that your candy corn is made with honey.
-You better double your recipe if you want it to last.
-Purchase the candy corn early in the season before it becomes difficult to find.
-Brach's candy corn is usually at Walgreen's and CVS even when you cannot find it in your local grocer.  
-Make your own treat bags using clear 4x6 inch treat bags with ties found at craft stores like Michael's and Jo-Ann's.  Fill the bag and tie or staple shut.  Using a hot glue gun attach the bag to scrapbook paper or cardstock that you have cut down to the size of the bag.

Update 10/16/2013:  

Just thought I would share some of the new cardstock designs that I used for this year's treats.  Last week, I cut 100 pieces of cardstock and assembled them for my husbands game studio co-workers at Edge of Reality.  Yesterday, I finished them off by adding the labels.

And a great tip! Randall's and Tom Thumb is now carrying the large 40 ounce bag of Brach's candy corn this year.  If using a bag of this size then you will also need to double up your peanuts to two 12.5 ounce cans.  From the 40 ounce bag of candy corn and the 2 cans of peanuts my single batch ranged from 41 to 45 treat bags.  I made 2.5 batches using this method this fall for treat bags and had the other half batch for our home.

Now here's the shocker! Monday while I was at Randall's I spotted a new version of the candy corn mix that Brach's produces.  Get this...It was candy corn and regular cocktail peanuts.  OMG! First of all, I can tell you this handmade version is older and secondly using cocktail peanuts is blasphemy because it changes the flavor entirely.  If there is anyone out there who could tell me the date that Brach's first introduced their version I would be quite interested.

Happy Halloween!!

Autumn Caramel Apple Dip

This is my favorite caramel apple recipe.  My Aunt Shirley introduced this version of caramel apples to me while I was still living in Florida.  I have never purchased caramel apple dip since.  This is perfect for a fall party, bonfire, or anything you wish.

Apples that I photographed at Kapnick Orchards, Michigan last fall.

*Use a double-broiler pan or similar type of set-up so the caramel is melted by the heat of the water.

1 16oz bag of individually wrapped caramels (my aunt uses Kraft brand)

1 can eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

1 container of cool whip

While heating water in the bottom portion of the double broiler open caramels to place in the top pan.   Continue stirring caramel as it melts.  Then add sweetened milk, stirring.  Then add cool whip,  stirring.  Done.

Drizzle over apple slices!

Enjoy!

Made-to-Order Breads & Baked Goods from Angela O'

Thanks to the Texas revising the Texas Cottage Food Law late last year I am now able to sell my foods.  Of course it is not legal to sell anything that must be refrigerated so my famous gourmet holiday cheese ball, pies and other confections are out of the equation but I am happy to offer my other goodies!!

Some of the baked goods I offer are:

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bundt

Zucchini Bread

Vanilla-Zucchini Bread

Banana Nut Bread

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Irish Soda Bread

Cookie Varieties & More

Loaves typically run between $5.00 to $6.75 depending on the variety

The law only requires that the food must be for sale at my home so in order for this to be followed one of the three options must be chosen by my customer my customer.  1) My customer can choose to visit my home and place the order, 2) My customer may choose to visit my home and pay for the order, or 3) My customer may choose to pick up the order from my home.

Just comment or send me an email if you are interested.  

angelam.omahony@gmail.com

DIY MICROWAVE POPCORN

What you need:

1 Brown Paper Bag, lunch bag size

Whole Kernel Popcorn, unpopped

Seasoning of Your Choice: Sea Salt, Seasoned Salt, Chili Powder, Spray Butter, Grated Parmesan, Rosemary & Olive Oil, Cinnamon & Sugar, Cinnamon & Allspice, or whatever your heart desires

Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels in the brown paper bag.  Fold down the opening of the bag tightly 2 to 4 times.  I prefer to fold more times to avoid any popping explosions in the microwave.  

Place the bag in the microwave and either using your popcorn presetting or your timer turn it on between 1.5 to 2.5 minutes.  Since there are only 2 tablespoons in the bag less time is needed than a standard size microwave bag.  Regardless of what type of timer you use stay near your microwave so that you can stop it if the popping has quit and been quiet 2 to 3 seconds.  Don't let it burn, there is nothing like burned kernels stinking up the house.

Season or don't season as you wish!!

Bon Appetit!

Essentially the popcorn amount of 1 to 2 tablespoons is perfect for a one person snack.  If you are sitting down with your beau or friends to watch a movie pop more!!

This is a very inexpensive and healthy way to eat microwave popcorn.  Standard pre-packaged microwave popcorn bought in the grocery market is loaded with preservatives, artificial flavors, and crazy amounts of sodium.

There are typically two areas of the grocery market where you will find whole, unpopped kernels.  The first is in the snack food aisle that houses chips and standard microwave popcorn.  Usually sold in a 1 to 2 pound bag that ranges from $1.00 to $4.00 depending on the national or store brand you chose.  The second place and many times a better price point is in the markets bulk section where pull down bins of spices, snacks, and dry goods such as popcorn, beans, and rice are located. I have regularly chosen both styles but more recently (blame it on being an Austinite) I have chosen to purchase out of the bulk bins.  In the Austin area, bulk bins are in all of the competing groceries stores: HEB, Central Market, Whole Foods, Wheatsville Co-op, and I am sure that the "coming-soon" Trader Joe's will likely have them as well.